If it wasn't for the Yosemite Blog, I wouldn't have heard the sad news of Phil Frank's passing, He was the creator of Farley, a local comic strip. He died earlier this month due to brain tumors. He was 64.

My first real introduction to Frank's work happened two years ago in Yosemite, when I came across "Fur and Loafing in Yosemite", a collection of Farley cartoons focused on the park.

I quickly fell in love with the cast of characters, especially the urbanized bear clan of Alphonse, Franklin, Floyd, and Bruinhilda. Every year, they'd find a way to make the trek from San Francisco to the park. I also couldn't get enough of Velma Melmac, the owner of the 36-foot Wapama motorhome and a Tojo Vac 'n Blo. She was glamping long before it was hip.

Last year, I couldn't resist buying Frank's next collection of Yosemite cartoons contained in "Eat, Drink & Be Hairy". It had more hilarity and more of the cartoonist's clever puns, like "a tents situation" and "a fur gone conclusion".

Reading his strip added laughter to my Yosemite experience and my life. For that, I'm extremely grateful to Phil Frank and I will miss him.